Howl is a long-standing tradition at Westview High School. Howl is the final event of the year for seniors, during which they participate in an elaborate scavenger hunt around Seattle. Each student is given a target, or student, that they must take out of the game by way of pulling a colored band off of their arm. The last person remaining in the game is crowned Howl champion and is awarded a check for $5,000. Initially for Rowan Roth, Howl is an opportunity to beat her long-time rival, Neil McNair, one last time. For Rowan, winning Howl also means achieving satisfying closure, both in her high school career and in her somewhat tense relationship with Neil. However, more than anything, Howl becomes an opportunity for Rowan to reflect back on the past four years and push herself in ways she never has before. It is through the experience of Howl that Rowan takes major leaps in her life—she tells her parents that she is writing a romance novel, shares her writing with others for the first time, meets her favorite author, and most importantly, realizes that she is in love with Neil. Though Howl starts out as a means to get back at her nemesis, Howl is ultimately the vessel through which Rowan begins her new post-high school life.